Reader-Friendly Transitions:Showing the way
from here to thereBy Suzanne E. Rowe

In creating a document, a writer chooses an order in which to
present her ideas. The rushed writer may inadvertently choose an order that
reflects only the mishmash of ideas rattling around in her brain. The careful
writer thinks about a logical sequence that will make sense to the reader.
Then the careful writer adds transitions that make that logical sequence
obvious to the reader. These are "reader-friendly transitions."

Reader-friendly transitions are essential for conveying
complex ideas effectively, but including them in your writing takes
some effort. Part of the effort will be because you haven’t yet
organized the material in the clearest way; patching on a few transition
words can’t fix bad organization. Instead, you’ll need
to continue cutting, pasting, adding and deleting. Once the organization
is perfect, you’ll still need to invest some effort in searching
for the exact word or phrase that shows the organization to the reader.

Transitions can signpost a number of upcoming events:
examples, results, comparisons, contradictions, summaries, conclusions,
blockbuster movies (just kidding). Websites that list transitions by
category are noted at the end of this article. The rest of this article
explains how to use transitions effectively to lead your reader from
here to there.

Numeric TransitionsOrdinal numbers are often effective transitions. As an
example, following an introduction that outlines four elements of a
tort, the single word first can signal to the reader that the
discussion is shifting from the general introduction to a detailed
analysis of the first element. Moving on to the second element in a
later paragraph, the writer may use second, and so on. This
isn’t rocket science, but just wait till you see how easy it
is to mess up.

In the example below, the initial sentence effectively
tells the reader to look out for two rules. Then the writer highlights
those two rules with first and second.

Good Example: Courts generally
consider two rules in defining "active participant" in worker’s
compensation cases. First, an active participant is one who assumes
an active or aggressive role in the assault. To assume this role, a person
must either initiate a physical altercation or verbally incite a physical
response. Second, courts consider any possibility of disengagement
between the parties involved in the assault prior to its occurrence.

Note that after the initial sentence, the writer could
have elaborated on where the two rules originated or how they compare
to the rules in other states. Different transitions would have been
needed. Instead, the writer clearly signals that the second sentence
explains the first rule. The following sentence elaborates on the first
rule. The transition second in the last sentence moves the reader
to the next rule. Without that simple word, the reader may not know
whether the last sentence in the example is continuing the elaboration
of the first rule or stating the second.

Note that numbers have limits as useful transitions.
Sometimes writers toss in numeric transitions when they add no substance
at all. First, second, third, last provide
little help to the reader in these situations. Take a look at the mess
in the next example.

Weak Example:First,
courts generally consider two rules in defining "active participant" in
worker’s compensation cases. Second, an active participant
is one who assumes an active or aggressive role in the assault. Third,
to assume this role, a person must either initiate a physical altercation
or verbally incite a physical response. Last, courts consider
any possibility of disengagement between the parties involved in the
assault prior to its occurrence.

These transitions aggressively confuse the analysis,
even when the sentences themselves are in order. (Imagine the confusion
if the sentences were out of order, too!) No, transitions don’t
require the work of rocket scientists, but even the most obtuse reader
could have counted to four and numbered the sentences. When you’re
tempted to take this easy way out, dig deeper and put forth a bit more
effort.

By the way, writers have recently decided that first, second, third, last are
not sufficiently sophisticated. These words have been dolled up with –ly endings.
Does firstly justify your billable rate more than first?

Connective TransitionsSome transitions show the logical connection of sentences.
As examples, after,next and then indicate a sequence
of events. However and although suggest a contradiction
or problem. Therefore and thus signal a conclusion. In
the following example, the transition words after, then and although show
the connections.

Example: In a leading case,
the court held that the employee was an active participant when he both
physically and verbally initiated a fight. After verbally assaulting
his boss for not giving him the night off, the employee turned his aggression
toward a coworker, accusing him of being favored. The employee then grabbed
the bandaged arm of his coworker, who struck back. The court held that
the employee’s anger, vocal tirade and threatening gestures initiated
the altercation. Although the employee received the only punch
thrown, he was still an active participant.

Be careful when using the concluding words therefore and thus.
You must be sure that the conclusion flows from all you have written
beforehand and that the conclusion is justified. What if the example
above had ended with this conclusion? "Thus, the employee was
denied compensation." That conclusion doesn’t logically
follow from the partial discussion that precedes it; there are more
elements that must be shown before an employee can be excluded from
recovery. Dressing up the sentence with thus doesn’t ensure
that you’re presenting a sound conclusion.

Bridging LanguageReader-friendly
transitions can be provided by repeating words or phrases from earlier
in the document. The previous sentence, for example, harkened back
to the opening of this article, where the term "reader-friendly
transitions" was
introduced. The repeated words formed a bridge connecting the two pieces
of the article.

Some of the most effective bridging language repeats
key words in consecutive sentences. Remember your English teacher telling
you to begin one sentence as you ended the last one? Of course, if
you take her literally, your writing will be dully repetitive. But
look at the following two examples for effective bridging (noting that
the first repeats just a word, while the second repeats a bit more).

Example 1: The first rule for
determining who is an active participant considers whether the employee
used language capable of inciting a physical response. This language requirement
demands more than just a heated exchange of words.
Example 2: The first rule for determining
the active participant considers whether the employee used language
capable of inciting a physical response. Language that could incite
a physical response must be more than just a heated exchange of words.

Bridging language can also be used to remind the reader
where you’ve been and where you’re going. The next example
begins analysis of the second element in a worker’s compensation
claim.

Example:After proving that
the employee was an active participant, Company X will likely be
able to show that his fight with a coworker was not connected to his
job assignment and was a deviation from his duties as an account manager.

The first clause, "After proving that the employee
was an active participant," reminds the reader that the
first element has just been established but more lies ahead. The
rest of the sentence provides a roadmap of the next argument.

VarietyAs you insert transitions,
remember that variety is the spice of life. Avoid the monotony of including
the same boring transition again and again and again. In a chronological
statement of your client’s
facts or a review of the facts of a leading case, adding the word then or next to
the beginning of each sentence does little to lead the reader through
the story in an interesting or helpful way.

Also avoid the monotony of beginning every sentence and
paragraph with a one-word transition. Note the repetitive sentence
structure in the following example.

Example: Onecourt held
that the employee’s words had not incited a physical response,
so he was not an active participant in the ensuing assault. First, the
employee was angry with a foreman for having driven his truck.Then,
the employee expressed this anger by directing abusive language at the
foreman. Next, the foreman grabbed the employee’s jacket and pulled
him. Then, both tripped over a chain and fell. Last, the employee rolled
down a small hill, sustaining injuries that required medical attention.

Wake me up when you’re done. While I’m yawning,
check out the websites listed below under notes.

ConclusionReader-friendly
transitions — those that make a
document’s organization clear to the reader — are well
worth the effort. Just ask your reader.

Suzanne E. Rowe is an associate professor at the University
of Oregon School of Law, where she directs the Legal Research and Writing
Program. As the Luvaas Faculty Fellow for 2008-2009, she is grateful
to the Luvaas Faculty Fellowship Endowment Fund for support of her
articles in The Legal Writer. She appreciates the comments of Harvey
Rogers on this article.

ABOUT THE AUTHORSuzanne E. Rowe is an associate professor at the University of Oregon
School of Law, where she directs the Legal Research and Writing Program.
As the Luvaas Faculty Fellow for 2008-2009, she is grateful to the
Luvaas Faculty Fellowship Endowment Fund for support of her articles
in The Legal Writer. She appreciates the comments of Harvey Rogers
on this article.